Keynote Announced: Hideo Kojima, Head of Kojima Productions "Solid Game Design: Making the ‘Impossible’ Possible"
Known for giving rise to the stealth action game genre with his creation of the acclaimed Metal Gear series more than two decades ago, Kojima’s keynote will focus on conquering various development obstacles with creative game design, using the driving game design philosophies behind the Metal Gear series as reference. Biography:
Renowned as one of the world’s most influential contemporary game developers, Hideo Kojima first decided to get involved in the game development business while studying economics. Driven by the hardware limitations of the MSX personal computer, he pursued a fresh approach to the action game genre – and thus the stealth genre was born with Metal Gear. The debut title was then ported to the Famicom, known Stateside as the Nintendo Entertainment System, and received an unofficial sequel titled Snake’s Revenge.
The global breakthrough for Kojima’s career took place in 1998 when Metal Gear Solid was released on Sony’s PlayStation platform. Before the sequel in 2002, Kojima also produced the mech action game Zone of the Enders. Kojima also created Boktai: The Sun in your Hand, a Game Boy Advance game which contained a photometric sensor in the cartridge that charged a vampire’s solar weapon, sending gamers outdoors to catch some fresh air. This type of idea is something that Kojima has become known for—breaking the “fourth wall” and forcing the player to interact with the game in ways outside of traditional gameplay.
Keynote Announced: Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo "Discovering New Development Opportunities" Synopsis:
The development of both Nintendo DS and Wii was based on the idea that the video game consumer base could be broadened if the definition of a video game…and ways to access games…were viewed differently. The fact that these platforms have been accepted so enthusiastically around the world shows that there is opportunity for developers to stretch the boundaries of what was previously viewed as possible in terms of realizing a creative vision.
In his keynote address, Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata will talk about Nintendo’s role in creating better tools and bringing opportunities for developers to introduce their innovative ideas to a marketplace that is increasingly willing and eager to embrace new game design possibilities. Biography:
In 2002, Satoru Iwata was named president of Nintendo Co., Ltd. He joined Nintendo in 2000, when was responsible for Nintendo’s global corporate planning as the head of the Corporate Planning Division.
Iwata was born in 1959 in the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan. He studied at and graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology University, where he majored in computer science. Shortly after graduating, Iwata joined HAL Laboratory, Inc. and in 1983 began coordinating the software production and development of Nintendo titles, such as the Kirby series. By 1993, he had become president of that company.
Mobile Keynote Neil Young,
CEO & Founder, ngmoco Description:
Neil Young, CEO and founder, ngmoco, will bring the classic game makers perspective to the GDC Mobile keynote and talk about why, to his own surprise, he left his role at Electronic Arts to build a new class of mobile games. He will share with the audience his learnings and draw a vision for the not-so-distant future, and the opportunities the new mobile devices present, to inspire developers to leave their day jobs too.
"Solid Game Design: Making the ‘Impossible’ Possible"
Known for giving rise to the stealth action game genre with his creation of the acclaimed Metal Gear series more than two decades ago, Kojima’s keynote will focus on conquering various development obstacles with creative game design, using the driving game design philosophies behind the Metal Gear series as reference.
Biography:
Renowned as one of the world’s most influential contemporary game developers, Hideo Kojima first decided to get involved in the game development business while studying economics. Driven by the hardware limitations of the MSX personal computer, he pursued a fresh approach to the action game genre – and thus the stealth genre was born with Metal Gear. The debut title was then ported to the Famicom, known Stateside as the Nintendo Entertainment System, and received an unofficial sequel titled Snake’s Revenge.
The global breakthrough for Kojima’s career took place in 1998 when Metal Gear Solid was released on Sony’s PlayStation platform. Before the sequel in 2002, Kojima also produced the mech action game Zone of the Enders. Kojima also created Boktai: The Sun in your Hand, a Game Boy Advance game which contained a photometric sensor in the cartridge that charged a vampire’s solar weapon, sending gamers outdoors to catch some fresh air. This type of idea is something that Kojima has become known for—breaking the “fourth wall” and forcing the player to interact with the game in ways outside of traditional gameplay.
Keynote Announced: Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo
"Discovering New Development Opportunities"
Synopsis:
The development of both Nintendo DS and Wii was based on the idea that the video game consumer base could be broadened if the definition of a video game…and ways to access games…were viewed differently. The fact that these platforms have been accepted so enthusiastically around the world shows that there is opportunity for developers to stretch the boundaries of what was previously viewed as possible in terms of realizing a creative vision.
In his keynote address, Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata will talk about Nintendo’s role in creating better tools and bringing opportunities for developers to introduce their innovative ideas to a marketplace that is increasingly willing and eager to embrace new game design possibilities.
Biography:
In 2002, Satoru Iwata was named president of Nintendo Co., Ltd. He joined Nintendo in 2000, when was responsible for Nintendo’s global corporate planning as the head of the Corporate Planning Division.
Iwata was born in 1959 in the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan. He studied at and graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology University, where he majored in computer science. Shortly after graduating, Iwata joined HAL Laboratory, Inc. and in 1983 began coordinating the software production and development of Nintendo titles, such as the Kirby series. By 1993, he had become president of that company.
Mobile Keynote
Neil Young,
CEO & Founder, ngmoco
Description:
Neil Young, CEO and founder, ngmoco, will bring the classic game makers perspective to the GDC Mobile keynote and talk about why, to his own surprise, he left his role at Electronic Arts to build a new class of mobile games. He will share with the audience his learnings and draw a vision for the not-so-distant future, and the opportunities the new mobile devices present, to inspire developers to leave their day jobs too.